FAQs

If you have any questions about TopLife Formula that we haven't answered here, please email us info@toplifeformula.com or call us 01565 750576.

Q. I thought you shouldn't give milk to dogs and cats. Won't this product just make them sick or give them diarrhoea?

A. No. Goats' milk is both highly digestible and nutritious. It does contain lactose, but as the fat globules are smaller than in cows' milk, the milk passes through the body more quickly, giving little opportunity for any adverse reaction to the lactose. It works the same for dogs and cats as it does for some humans who are intolerant to cows' milk - a highly digestible way of getting the nutritional benefits.

Q. I have a three-month old puppy. Is it safe to give him TopLife Formula?

A. While regular TopLife Formula is suitable for all dogs, all ages, it is not recommended for puppies until they are at least six weeks old. For dogs not yet six weeks old, you should instead consider TopLife Formula Puppy milk which is specifically formulated to deal with the dietary fragility of young pups.

Q. How much TopLife Formula should I feed my dog, puppy or kitten?

A. You can feed TopLife Formula to your dog, puppy or kitten as often as you like. For new puppies and kittens, when introducing TopLife Formula to the diet, feed it in small amounts initially, perhaps mixed with water for the first couple of feeds. Then build it up over a week or so. For adult dogs, a carton a day for a medium sized dog is a good guide. It can be mixed with wet or dry food, and it's a good idea to provide a fresh bowl of water.

Q. I've got a 10-month old baby who crawls everywhere at quite a speed. He's got a habit of putting all sorts of things in his mouth, so I'm worried he may drink some of your TopLife out of the dog's bowl.

A. TopLife Formula is perfectly safe and will do him no harm if he happens to drink some of it. After all, it's made with pure, natural goats' milk and the supplements are healthy too!

Q. How long will the product last once the carton has been opened?

A. You should refrigerate any unused TopLife Formula and use it within 3 days - just like normal milk.

Q. At what age should I switch from the puppy milk to the adult dog milk?

A. The nutritional benefits of the puppy milk are designed for dogs aged 6 months and under, however this can be extended to meet the individual dog's needs. The owner can switch to the dog milk formula at any time after 6 months depending on the dog's requirements.

Q. You say your goats are from 'Welfare Assured' herds - what does this mean?

A. Welfare is a top priority. Most of goats producing our milk are white British Saanens... a really good milking breed. They're also very good natured, inquisitive and playful which makes them fun to work with (it's tempting to say they like to kid around... ouch!).

The milk is not classified as organic but all our farms operate low input systems in terms of fertilisers. For example, all the goats' manure is spread back on the land. We also treat sick animals with antibiotics, but only if absolutely necessary.

Of course, we're still a relatively young industry so we're perfectly placed to learn from mistakes made in other areas of livestock farming... then make sure we don't repeat them! Which means we don't push the goats for every last drop of milk or place them in stressful environments... keeping veterinary problems to a minimum.

Our goats enjoy all of life's home comforts... in airy, draft-free, barns with a deep bedding of straw and plenty of space for 'getting away' from the group. These groups are decided according to when the goats are going to kid. We don't mix the groups either, simply because goats develop a strong social hierarchy.

Every goat is individually identified and a good herdsman knows them all, often by looking at their udder rather than their face! If you're wondering why they're not kept outdoors... that's easy. They don't have the oil in their coat that sheep do to protect them from the wind and rain. The big softies like it indoors, although some farmers allow them to 'summer' outdoors... but still leave the barns open for them!

It's a goat's life! Waited on hand and foot, with 'room service' delivering the perfect menu of food for them to browse and eat as they choose. Forget the idea of goats eating everything from the washing to a prickly hedge. Given the right feed, they meticulously pick out all their favourite bits. They're also browsers, not grazers, so could survive on rough scrub. A typical diet consists of silage, hay and straw with a blend of cereals to balance their nutrient intake.